It's almost time for our final 'Team Tahola' challenge of 2018, it's definitely my favourite event and this year will be my third time, I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. There really is no other event like it, I can't wait to ride as part of a peloton with my Tahola team mates, with rolling road closures, the technical and physio back up teams making life so much easier and the dramatic Arc de Triomphe finale certainly gets the adrenaline pumping and tears flowing, as everyone reflects on their own journey and what's been achieved.
From the rolling hills of Kent to the plains of Normandy; from the streets of London to the Champs-Élysées, London to Paris is truly an unforgettable, life-changing experience. We will be riding with hundreds of fellow bike enthusiasts, led by experienced ride captains for four days through beautiful countryside, cheered on by street-side supporters and flanked by motorcycle outriders. This is the ultimate cycling experience and one that we are all doing for the same reason, to raise awareness and much needed funds for Bloodwise.
So with just under a week to go until we embark on our journey to Paris, leaving from Eltham Palace next Thursday morning, we'd like to ask for your continued support in helping us reach our fundraising target. We are currently at 83% and have so far raised over £11,500, a huge thank you to everyone that has donated and to all of our Team Tahola kit sponsors and to the lovely Becca at Zig Zag who has been shaving our hair free of charge for the last three months.
Please help us smash our target, all you need to do is click on the link www.justgiving.com/fundraising/taholatriple and donate whatever you can.
Here are a few pictures of our journey so far.......
You may have noticed the infamous Ironman logo in the last few photos above, Nigel and Alex our fellow Tahola team mates didn't have quite as a relaxing August as I did, because on the 25th August they completed 'Vichy 70.3'.
Nigel has shared his thoughts below on their first 'Half Iron', very proud of them both - well done guys!
“After over a year of training, massive bike rides, regular Monday half marathon’s, early Sunday morning’s Mile-and-half’s in the lake, over 15 hours of training a week for what seems like forever, we finally were ready for our penultimate major event in the year – the Vichy Ironman 70.3 on the 25th – all for Team Tahola and the Bloodwise Charity.
The 190 miles Ride revolution with the team and last month’s Ride 100 had put the miles in our legs but nothing could calm the butterflies in our stomachs – it was 03.00 on 25th August and we were eating the first of two breakfasts before the start. Arriving at the riverside sports complex in pitch black cool air – Alex and I, along with 2,500 other people were mustering, nervously putting on wetsuits and cramming the last essentials in before joining the queue to roll into the river for the 1.2 mile swim. Alex was up in the faster category than me and was off to a great start in the water – but it was probably the most brutal swimming experience of our lives, the pushing, kicking and climbing over one- another to get the best time possible. On to the bikes for 56 miles through the wonderful Auvergne countryside in a freak cloudy day so temperatures were cool and forgiving, thank goodness. The hardest thing was trying to gauge how much to push and how much to leave in reserve for the half marathon.
The answer to that was evidently clear when we returned through transition in Vichy and set off round the lake and through the spa city – we hadn’t left quite enough! The two laps of the course were excruciating and if it hadn’t been for the support of our family and friends along with the thousands of well-wishers all around the course – I’m not sure we’d have actually finished. The sun had started to come out and the temperature was soaring towards the 30’s but somehow we got to the finish. Alex cracked the five and half hours with a fantastic 5 hours, 28 and 53s and I came in with a 5 hours, 43 and 56s – both well inside our target of 6 hours!
Now we’ve had a week of rest and are starting the final training push for the longest bike ride of the year – London to Paris - back with the whole team – can’t wait to be back in France again for what should be an epic event – go team Tahola"
Please help support us in our final challenge of 2018 and donate whatever you can, here's the link again: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/taholatriple
Thank you from everyone at Team Tahola x
